282 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
Both Angels and Demons are ranked in ordered
levels of hierarchies, much like an army. Angels are
by nature cooperative and wish to aid any worthy
magician. Demons are shifty and uncooperative, and
have to be threatened and coerced into helping. I will
discuss Demons more fully in Class 6.6.3. In this Les-
son, I wish to concentrate on the Angels of the
Qabalistic tradition.
Angels are pure spirit, therefore they have no sexu-
ality. They are free of the limitations of the material
world, are incorporeal and immortal. They are fixed in
their roles, have no free will, and do not change or
evolve. Their functions and their objectives are to help
us to know our true nature and purpose, and awaken
our divine consciousness.
Groups of Angels are known as Choirs. Each
Choir contains thousands of Angels, ruled by an Arch-
angel. There are ten of these, each associated with a
Sefirah on the Tree of Life. Here are the Angelic Choirs,
ranked from the highest to the lowest. If you should
decide to conjure up any of these Archangels, it’s ex-
tremely important to pronounce their names correctly!Chioth Ha Qadesh—This is the supreme Order of
Angels, directly associated with the ultimate infi-
nite Divine Spirit of Kether. They are known as the
Holy Living Creatures, and they are led by Arch-
angel Metatron (MET-a-tron) (“Angel of the Pres-
ence”). The King of all the Angels, and the young-
est, he was once the Biblical Patriarch Enoch. Meta-
tron is the link between God and humanity. His
female counterpart is Shekinah (sheh-KEE-na).
Auphanim—These are the Whirling Forces. Associ-
ated with Chokmah, they are ruled by Archangel
Ratziel (RAT-zee-EL) (“delight of God”), the Prince
of knowledge of hidden things, who is called the
Angel of Mysteries. The legendary Book of Ratziel
is said to contain a secret coded key to the mysteries
of the Universe unknown even to other Angels.
Aralim—These are the Strong and Mighty Ones.
They are made of white fire and are associated with
Binah, the Sefirah of Saturn and the Female Prin-
ciple. Their ruling Archangel is Tzaphqiel (TZAF-
kee-EL) (“contemplation of God”), the Prince of
spiritual strife against evil.
Chasmalim—These are the Brilliant Ones. They are
concerned with Justice and are associated with
Chesed, the Sefirah of Jupiter. They are led by Arch-
angel Tzadkiel (TZAD-kee-EL) (“justice of God”),
Prince of mercy and beneficence who guards the
Gates of the East Wind.
Seraphim—These are the Flaming Ones, the Aveng-
ing Angels of destruction. They serve Geburah, the
Sefirah of Mars and the Fear of God. They are ruled
by Archangel Kamael (KA-may-EL) (“severity of
God”). As Prince of strength and courage, he bears
the flaming sword.Malachim—Also called the Shinanin, these serve
Tiphareth, the Sefirah of the Sun. They govern all
natural laws and are responsible for the motions
and cycles of the heavenly bodies, as well as any
miracles that break the laws of Nature. They in-
spire valor in heroes and virtue in saints. Their Arch-
angel is Raphael (RAF-ay-EL) (“physician of God”),
Prince of healing, with Michael as his lieutenant.
Elohim—These are the pantheon (“all Gods’), also
known as the Choir of Principalities. They are as-
sociated with Netzach, the Sefirah of Venus. Their
presiding Archangel is Haniel (HA-nee-el) (“grace
of God”), Prince of love and harmony. His female
counterpart, Hagiel (HA-gee-el), is a beautiful
green-eyed Angel appearing exactly as the God-
dess Aphrodite.
Beni Elohim—These are the Sons of the Gods, also
known as the Choir of Archangels. They are asso-
ciated with Hod, the Sefirah of Mercury. Their Arch-
angel is Michael (MY-kay-EL) (“protector of God”),
with Raphael as his lieutenant. Their province is
art and knowledge.
Cherubim—These are the Guardian Angels of hu-
manity; their name means “those who intercede.”
They serve Yesod, the Sefirah of action and the
Moon. Their Archangel is Gabriel (GAB-ree-EL)
(“strength of God”), most beloved of all the An-
gels. It was he who appeared to Mary with the An-
nunciation and dictated the Koran to Mohammed.
Ishim—These are the lowest order of Angels, assist-
ing humanity directly. Also called the Blessed Souls
and the Souls of the Just Made Perfect, they were
once living saints and prophets. They are associ-
ated with Malkuth—the Kingdom of Earth and
mundane concerns. Their Archangel is Sandalphon
(san-DAL-fon) (“co-brother”), the twin of Meta-
tron. He was once the Hebrew prophet Elias.Lesson 6: Angelic Operations
If you haven’t yet been working with the exercises in
meditation and visualization I gave you earlier, you
are certainly not ready to do Angelic operations. It’s
alright—there’s no rush. Develop those skills, and then
come back to this Lesson.
Angelic operations, like all conjurations of Spir-
its, require a quiet and private space where you will
not be interrupted for at least an hour. If at all pos-
sible, you should be completely alone in the house, so
you will not even hear other people’s voices. Lock the
doors and unplug the telephone. The temperature
should be comfortable, and it helps to have a soft cush-
ion to sit on. Have everything you might need within
easy reach, and use the bathroom before you begin!
Don’t eat spicy foods—especially things like beans
or garlic that will give you stinky breath or farts—for
at least 48 hours before your ritual! The only thing- Spectrum 2.p65 282 1/15/2004, 9:31 AM